Melissa Cooney joined NBC Connecticut in July 2024 as a weekday dayside reporter.
She began her career at WCAX in Burlington, Vermont, where she covered the education beat on topics such as developments in the state surrounding standardized testing, restraint and seclusion, school safety, and COVID-19.
Melissa has also covered severe weather, including the historic July 2023 flooding that tore through Vermont and was on site to cover the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.
Melissa is originally from Long Island, New York, and is a proud alumna of Wake Forest University. She holds a B.A. in communication media studies and has a strong foundation in journalism and studio art. Her academic background has equipped her with the skills and knowledge to excel in her reporting career.
She is thrilled to be in Connecticut and is eager to explore the state while indulging in her love for running and skiing.
The Latest
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Invasive mosquito expected to return to Connecticut this summer
An invasive mosquito called the Asian tiger mosquito made a resurgence in population last year in Connecticut and experts say they expect them to continue to populate the months ahead. The Asian tiger mosquito has been found in Milford, as well as other towns in New Haven and Fairfield counties, like New Haven, West Haven and Bridgeport. The invasive species...
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New Haven proposes local law that fines drivers for illegally passing school buses
New Haven is the next Connecticut municipality looking to install cameras on their school buses — hoping to catch people who run the bus stop signs. This comes less than a year after the state legislature gave individual cities and towns the go-ahead to set up these initiatives in their communities. City leaders say they believe drivers are illegally…
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‘We've all lost this': Vernon woman says pre-paid funeral funds are gone
Some people in northern Connecticut are on alert after learning about allegations of a funeral home owner embezzling their pre-paid funeral funds. Philip Pietras was arrested on a larceny charge in April, accused of mishandling more than $80,000 of pre-paid accounts. Based on Pietras’ case on the Connecticut Judicial website, a plea has not been entered yet. Earlier this week,…
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Somers neighbors concerned over irrigation pond on Watchaug Road
Neighbors in Somers describe Watchaug Road as “a little bit of heaven.” Some worry that the potential for an irrigation pond from Oakridge Dairy could change that. “It’s not going to be like that anymore,” said Mary Balboni, who has lived in Somers for nearly 70 years. “Our way of life is going to end,” she said. Her home is…
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Video shows chaotic moments during shooting at a funeral in a Hartford church
We’re learning more about just what happened moments before a shooting and stabbing at a funeral in Hartford last week at the Gospel Lighthouse Apostolic Church. Joshua Smellie was arrested in the case and went before a judge Monday, who ruled he continue to be held on $1 million dollars bond. We spoke to a family member who attended the…
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Glastonbury woman shares cancer survival story ahead of blood drive
Elizabeth Emory was 25 weeks pregnant when she learned she had stage four Burkitt non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “It was shocking, of course, and terrifying,” Emory said. The National Institute of Health describes Burkitt as an aggressive cancer that starts in the blood. “You’re talking about replacing the blood for me but also for my child, so it was much more critical….
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Connecticut's Peruvian community shares excitement for Pope Leo XIV
It’s an exciting time to be a Peruvian American. Pope Leo XIV got his Peruvian citizenship in 2015, where he spent decades doing missionary work and serving as the Bishop of Chiclayo. There are around 22,000 Peruvian Americans here in Connecticut, many of whom say they’re loving the representation Pope Leo brings to the Vatican. For Peruvian Americans, it’s...
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Connecticut law enforcement families honor those who died in the line of duty
Dozens of people in Connecticut are bike riding their way to Washington, D.C. in honor of officers who have died in the line of duty. There are 25 riders from New England who are riding 300 miles for remembrance. From Hartford, all the way down to Washington, D.C., Will Garten says one person will be on his mind. “I’ll...
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Great Wolf Lodge opens at Foxwoods
Family fun long in the making is now open to the public because The Great Wolf Lodge in Mashantucket is officially in business. Whether you’re climbing high, or splashing down a water slide, Mashantucket is packed as families flock to Foxwoods to celebrate the Great Wolf Lodge’s opening day. “I really like the ropes course, I was scared at...
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Initiative underway to determine how CT road lines can be improved, more visible
The Connecticut Transportation Institute (CTI) said road line visibility is a topic more drivers are noticing compared to years past, although they say no one is exactly sure what’s causing this uptick in complaints. The CTI and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) are looking to get to the bottom of it. It depends on the weather,” Francisco Ramalho, of Naugatuck, said. “It’s actually...
